Woman Left With Severely Swollen Eye After Blowing Her Nose 'Too Hard'

A woman who blew her nose "too hard" was left hospitalised after her eye swelled shut, according to a medical case published by BMJ Case Reports.

The 32-year-old, who has not been named, was rushed to A&E, where doctors diagnosed her with orbital emphysema.

Orbital emphysema is usually associated with trauma, and in the past has been linked to some dental procedures using air-driven hand tools. However in this particularly instance, the swelling was caused by forceful nose blowing - which is very rare.

The health condition, if left untreated, can lead to blindness as pressure builds up in the eye and prevents blood from flowing to the optic nerve.

Doctors said the woman's swollen eye had progressively worsened after blowing her nose and was "slightly painful".

She had no history of fever or sinusitis, had experienced no previous trauma to the nose and face, and was not taking any medication.

According to BMJ, the woman was admitted, given antibiotics and made a full recovery.